Lets put this to bed

[billoliver40]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

 

[BluestBlood]

I think you’re right.
I’ve never bought the we aren’t tough theory this year.
I think it’s an excuse fans use when we don’t perform exactly as they want. When in reality, we are a bunch of mid majors joined together that has played great together and grown.
We often dive and hustle to the floor. These guys have always wanted it more than others think.

 

[Creed Bratton]

I do think they don't back down from physical play like they did earlier in the season. I think most of them just wasn't accustomed to the type of physicality that you face in the SEC. In some of those early SEC games like UGA, when they got smacked in the mouth they backed down. Now not so much.

 

[know1]

I also never bought the theory that we weren't talented enough this year either. There's not doubt that if healthy, this team would be one of the top 4/5 contenders for a title.

 

[wardlow]

It’s a dumb theory. These guys have played beaten up all year and keep finding ways to win.

They needed some time to adjust to the atrocious SEC officiating this season but “tough enough” or “too nice” is just silly.

 

[IowaMuse]

Being tough and playing with physicality are actually two different things. Guys have been tough enough to play through a lot of injuries (and I assume a lot of pain). But they have too often played with very little physicality and resistance on the defensive end.

 

[Ripcord65]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Agree, 100 % ! Go 'Cats ! ! !

 

[Fox2monk]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

I ageee, they have even bigger hearts.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Big hearts and refuse to lose.

If they'd put more effort into boxing out, I'd have zero gripes at this point.

GO BIG BLUE.

 

[Aike]

I think they’ve been hit with incredible adversity, and there have been times when they didn’t quite rise to the occasion. It’s a flaw of mortals but we like to believe our favorite athletes have immunity.

That being said, double O put on his cape last night with 5 seconds left.

 

[Seth_C]

Being tough and playing with physicality are actually two different things. Guys have been tough enough to play through a lot of injuries (and I assume a lot of pain). But they have too often played with very little physicality and resistance on the defensive end.

I hear you but I question whether that is us or the refs. We are simply not allowed to play defense the way most of our opponents are. I don't know that it is intentional, but if you are being called for touch fouls while the other team can elbow you in the face it doesn't seem possible to put a body on your man.

 

[DraftCat]

This team gave everything it had this season. Injuries killed the goose.

Just hoping for a few more games from this group.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Give the game away then win is always a weird one to analyze. Perry is unplayable except at the end of the game. He has good handles and I doubt we turn the ball three times if him and chandler were out there down the stretch. Hope it’s something pope learns from

 

[blue cincy]

Seems like all games yesterday had some very questionable calls or no calls going on. Yes we get the short end a bunch, i get that. SEC head of officials must just love this type of controversy. Otherwise they would get off their butt, collecting money for a job they are not doing. Heck send Musk and DOGE in there. Clean up the dirty SEC officiating crap. GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!

 

[will1976]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Best post I've read here in awhile.

 

[Anthony B]

It''s true, but some of our bigs still don't leave their feet at times when they have a decent chance to block a shot. If you are a 7 footer and a much smaller guard is driving on you there is no excuse to not at least try to block it.

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

Amari takes a lot of crap from all of us. I think it’s the Point Center thing. He’s made a lot of beautiful plays, but I still get nervous when he’s wheeling down the lane.
That being said, Amari is tough as nails and literally bodies people down low.

 

[runt#69]

Bill, I appreciate a man that can come here and admit when he may have been a little hasty with a pronouncement or judgment. I do recall some of your posts this year questioning this team's heart and guts, their toughness.

After all the adversity we have faced this season, seeing the entirety of BS calls on the road and the absolute crap it is playing a college basketball game ON THE ROAD ANYWHERE, it is beyond me to have ever questioned or called into question if this team is tough. I'm glad you can see it, you old salty dog ! Kudos to you for standing up and putting your thread up here! Well said.

Shame on those in BBN that questioned our team's toughness, our FAMILY toughness. This team has overcome a lot of adversity this year in so many ways, from the very beginning, and to throw any of these young men under the bus THIS YEAR at any point is/was ridiculous.

I'm a positive person, and believe in our team this year. I feel like they did all the talking with their actions on the court last MIDnight. If you can't see it by now, then I am afraid, as a fan, one never will.

Beat Bama' ! With all the ups and downs this year, they won't beat THIS Kentucky team three times in a single season. Somehow, someway, we will find a way to win.

Go Big Blue !

 

[Wildskatfan]

I do think they don't back down from physical play like they did earlier in the season. I think most of them just wasn't accustomed to the type of physicality that you face in the SEC. In some of those early SEC games like UGA, when they got smacked in the mouth they backed down. Now not so much.

In truth, injuries often come from lack of strength and conditioning. We need to up our game in that department next year.

 

[crestcat]

Amari takes a lot of crap from all of us. I think it’s the Point Center thing. He’s made a lot of beautiful plays, but I still get nervous when he’s wheeling down the lane.
That being said, Amari is tough as nails and literally bodies people down low.

Amari needs to fall in love with dunking, he will back his man down and the throw up a weak POS.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Will to win.

 

[yoshukai]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Robinson tried to play with a wrist that needed surgery.

 

[JPFisher]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

Saw someone on Facebook call Butler soft for being ruled out last night after his injury. Some people need the piss slapped out of them and simultaneously get some sense implanted.

There have been times where this team has played timid or uncertain, but they give their all. There's not a single guy from this team that I will have any ill will toward when the final buzzer sounds for their season. These guys earned BBN's respect and love.

Goodness, what a fantastic group of young men.

 

[bnewt]

Amari takes a lot of crap from all of us. I think it’s the Point Center thing. He’s made a lot of beautiful plays, but I still get nervous when he’s wheeling down the lane.
That being said, Amari is tough as nails and literally bodies people down low.

he has improved greatly this year
too bad he doesn't have another year to learn form this staff

 

[bnewt]

they seem to be even better people off the court - great group of guys Pope put together

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

In truth, injuries often come from lack of strength and conditioning. We need to up our game in that department next year.

That’s true. When I saw that Cooper Flagg injury yesterday, my first thought was, “This happened due to a lack of strength and conditioning.” Just like when Michael Jordan missed almost the entire regular season in his second NBA season. Derrick Rose, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson…..LOL. Do some of you even think more than three seconds before you send something? Wow lol

 

[YardCat]

Been a Lotta posts this season about the guys and coach not being tough enough.
I've made some of those.

Carr played when he couldn't sit down.
Kerr ran back on a broken foot.
Williams has played with a hurt ankle.
Butler played with a shoulder needing surgery.
Chandler got stitches and came back to play.
Oweh gets hacked and shove every game and plays power forward from a guards body.
Noah turned from a pure shooter to a dependable rebounder.
Perry knows he is out talented every time but still hustles.
And as Pope so eloquently put it....to come back and WIN when you know you have literally thrown the game away speaks volumes.
There are others.
I don't think we need to talk about these guys having toughness any more.

But did they walk uphill to school every day in the snow (both ways)?

 

[Wildskatfan]

That’s true. When I saw that Cooper Flagg injury yesterday, my first thought was, “This happened due to a lack of strength and conditioning.” Just like when Michael Jordan missed almost the entire regular season in his second NBA season. Derrick Rose, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson…..LOL. Do some of you even think more than three seconds before you send something? Wow lol

Your name proceeds you.
I didn't say all injuries are a result of poor strength and conditioning. You made that part up.
When you are stronger and in better shape you tend to not be bounced around so easy.
Guys to to bump off you more when there is physical contact. You don't end up on the ground as much ( i.e Butler).
Also, when you are physically tired you tend to be out of position more, and that can also open the door for bad things to happen in respect to injuries. ( i.e imbalances, strains, and overuse injuries)

 

[BC_Wader]

Big hearts and refuse to lose.

If they'd put more effort into boxing out, I'd have zero gripes at this point.

GO BIG BLUE.

YES! Not just boxing out but how about just being down there period. Too many times our shot goes up and guys are barely even in the picture because they're already heading down court.